This year's challenge is specifically designed to present to you a "wicked problem" for which you are to propose a possible solution. You do this through research, systems thinking, and design thinking principles. You may choose to compete individually or in teams of up to 4 students per team. Those who are selected as finalists will pitch your ideas before a panel of judges as part of the OWU Connection Conference to be held on February 26, 2026.
For more details about what makes a problem a "wicked challenge" see: _______
(Link to doc entitled "What's a wicked Problem?)
How might we accommodate continued population growth in Delaware County in a way that supports the quality of life for residents and the preservation of natural resources that we cherish?
Details
Ohio is the 7th most populous state in the U.S., and Delaware County is the second fastest growing county in the state, with a 13% increase in population between 2020 and 2025. This growth affects many aspects of living here, from affordability of housing to increased demand for electricity and water to loss of natural habitat. There are many consequences to this rapid growth. They include:
Cost of Living
The median price of homes sold in Delaware County in the past year was $515,000, a 2% increase year-over-year. This is simply out of reach for many younger college graduates. Owning a home has, for the past 3 generations, been the best route to financial security for Americans. In 1975 the average age at which a person could afford their first home was 29. Today, it is close to 40 years old. For those less fortunate than college graduates, the ramifications of the high cost of living are even greater. The average monthly rent in Delaware, OH is $2,145, which is 2 7% higher than the national average. The American dream is increasingly delayed or even out-of-reach for many Americans.
Taxes
Delaware County has the highest median property tax bill in Ohio, at nearly $7,000 per year. Ohio has a state income tax and City of Delaware has a local income tax, which is currently 1.85%. The combined state and local sales tax rate in Delaware County is generally 7% (5.75% state and 1.25% county). In addition, there are School District Income taxes, which range from 0.5% to 2%, depending on school district. Ohio ranks as having the 8th highest tax burden in the U.S., making the high taxes in Delaware County a significant financial factor for residents. This population growth has not only made housing expensive, it also has increased automobile traffic, reduced the acreage of undeveloped land, and increased the demand for water consumption, and increased the demand for electricity.
Traffic
Suburban growth in metro Columbus, including Delaware County, primarily relies on transportation by private automobiles. Transportation is today the largest source of greenhouse gases in the U.S. There are currently about 85,000 households in Delaware County, with an average of 2 cars per household. This means that Delaware County is home to approximately 170,000 automobiles. ODoT is currently prioritizing a $1.6 A billion plan to revitalize US Route 23 in Delaware County. It costs a lot of money to support transportation by car.
Demand for Electricity
On average, Delaware County residents spend about $252 per month on electricity. This is 9% higher than the national average electric bill. Electricity usage has increased approximately 1 to 2% per year historically in this area. But the demand for electricity in Delaware County is expected to double by around 2028 or 2030. This surge is driven almost entirely by the boom in new data centers and advanced manufacturing facilities (such as the Intel and Honda plants).
Impervious Surfaces
Urban density is often measured by impervious surfaces (pavement, roofs, etc.) as a percentage of total area. In high-density areas, such as commercial and business districts, the impervious surface areas can be as high as 85% of total area. In residential areas with one-acre minimum lots, density is usually about 18% to 20% imperviousness. Areas with increasing percentages of imperviousness face issues related to storm water run-off and flooding, and environmental contamination. A large portion of Delaware County remains today as an agricultural/rural area, with very low impervious surface percentages. With increased population growth, however, the percentage of impervious surfaces will also increase. And subsequently, natural habitats will shrink.
Water Usage
In 2023, approximately 10.67 billion gallons of water were withdrawn annually in Delaware County. Del-Co Water is one of the primary water providers in this county. They reported an average daily provision of nearly 13 million gallons of drinking water to its customers in 2023. Del-Co has seen a 50% increase in average daily usage of drinking water over the last decade. Municipal and private water system demands are expected to increase with population growth, with one estimate predicting roughly a 28% increase in demand by 2030. Meanwhile, industrial demand (driven largely by data centers and chip makers) is expected to skyrocket to more than 40 million gallons per day by 2030 across a 15-county central Ohio region (including Delaware County. Due to global warming, farmers in the region are expected to rely increasingly on irrigation, especially during dry summers. This is expected to increase groundwater demand across the 15-county region of central Ohio by 9.15 billion gallons annually.
Select one or possibly two of these consequences of population growth for your team to address. Then, explain how you might propose mitigating its negative consequences. Explore what other metropolitan areas, across the U.S. and abroad, have done when faced with similar circumstances. Here are additional things to consider: Economic development is often the root cause of unexpected consequences. How might private enterprises provide solutions for mitigating the consequences of this growth through invention and the use of free market practices? Public funds are often used to mitigate unwanted consequences such as those described. But they are limited in their capacity to address issues such as these. How might public funds (i.e. taxpayer dollars) be better used to address these problems?
What changes in consumer habits and behavior of Delaware Co. residents might serve
to mitigate these circumstances? How could those be brought about?
For the purposes of illustration only, viable proposals could include:
- Re-vamping a transportation system that currently relies largely on private automobiles on public roads.
- Redesigning homes and roadways in a way that reduces the percentage of impervious structures per person.
- Redesign housing or home financing in ways that lower costs of home ownership.
- Proposing alternative energy solutions for producing electricity.
- Proposing the creation of electricity production in a way that does not consume
more water.
- Proposing ways to reduce the electricity demand from data centers and manufacturing facilities.
- … and many more possibilities.
Your entry should demonstrate a design thinking approach and clearly communicate the following principles:
Social and environmental impact: How does your proposal make a positive difference to
people and/or the natural world in our chosen context? How is your approach empowering people? Have you considered the effective use of resources, including materials and processes?
Rigorous research and compelling insights: How have you combined your own first-hand research with a review of existing research and wider trends? How did you gather feedback about your proposed solutions?
Systems thinking: What's the bigger picture? How have you considered the root causes
of the challenge you're exploring? How does your idea connect to a wider set of issues?
What might be some unintended consequences of your proposal?
Viability: What other metropolitan areas have you studied that have addressed similar concerns that may offer lessons for your proposal? How might your proposal be funded and sustained financially? What are potential barriers? How would you measure
success?
Creativity and innovation: How is your idea different from existing interventions? Are there unexpected or surprising elements in your proposal?
"From Design Thinking to Systems Change: How to invest in innovation for social
impact,"by Rowan Conway, Jeff Masters and Jake Thorold. RSA Action and Research
Centre. July 2017.
"AEP Ohio: Data center electricity demands to put central Ohio on same tier as
Manhattan," by Mark Williams, Columbus Dispatch. May 14, 2024.
"Why America's Poer Grid Will be Able to Withstand the $2.5 Trillion A.I. Datacenter
Bulding Boom," by Christopher Helman, Forbes. Nov. 27 2025.
Delaware County Regional Planning Commission
Delaware County Zoning Resolution
Ohio Dept of Transportation website
To apply for this competition, student teams must submit three items:
1. A printable poster that consists of a one-slide PowerPoint or Google slide that provides a visual image of your proposed solution with not more than a one-sentence description. This is sometimes called a "hero image." Your hero image should aim to bring your concept to life. Make sure it is vibrant and engaging.
2. A single page describing your Big Idea in less than 250 words. This should clearly explain what your solution is, the specific area of need it addresses, and how you arrived at the solution. This is sometimes called an Executive Summary.
3. A 2-to-3-page supplementary document that addresses the following:
a. How does your proposal connect to the wider set of issues as presented in
this challenge?
b. What might be the social and environmental impacts of your proposal?
c. What research have you done to substantiate your proposal?
d. What evidence can you provide that your proposal will solve or at least
mitigate the problem you are addressing?
e. How would you measure success?
f. How might you develop funding for this project?
Application Deadline February 10, 2026.
Teams that are selected as finalists will deliver a 5-minute pitch to a panel of judges and
audience at the spring 2026 OWU Conference to be held on Feb. 26, 2026.
Winners will be decided by the judges. First-place prize is $3,000. Second place is
$1,500. Third place is $750. (These amounts are awarded per team, not per person unless competing individually.)